HC Deb 14 November 1956 vol 560 cc18-9W
39. Mr. Russell

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what proposals have been made by Her Majesty's Government to the United Nations for setting up a permanent international police force; and what objections to these proposals have been made to that organisation.

Mr. Dodds-Parker

Her Majesty's Government took a leading part in the efforts between 1946 and 1948 to give effect to Article 43 of the United Nations Charter, which calls on members to provide armed forces to the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security. The Military Staff Committee which was set up for this purpose reported on 2nd July, 1948, that it had reached a deadlock on general principles. The Security Council was unable to resolve this deadlock and discussions thus came to an end. In 1950 Her Majesty's Government co-sponsored the "Uniting for Peace" resolution which was intended to fill the gap left by the Security Council's inability to agree on the provision of armed forces, and which set up the Collective Measures Committee. In 1954 we supported the continuance on a stand-by basis of this Committee. Objections to the provision of armed forces to the Security Council came, in the main, from the Soviet Government, in the opinion of Her Majesty's Government, were essentially political in character. As regards the recent proposal to set up an international force on the Arab-Israel borders, I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave on 12th November to the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Swingler).